Trousers-stretcher.



No. 770,134. PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

. w. s. WALLAGE.

Q TROUSERS STRETGHER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.1Z,.1904.

no MODEL-1 1/ 0 I I v l 3 ,9 g V 6" V9 1.9-; I f? F g I We? I. Z "I. 770

g No. 770,134.

NITED STATES Patented September 13, 1904.

WINFIELD S. VVALLACIQOF NEWHOPE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TROUSERS-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,134, dated September 13, 1904. Application filed January 12, 1904. Serial No. 188,699. (No model.)

To coZZ whom it puny concern: 7

Be it knownthat I, WINFIELD S. WALLACE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newhope, in the county of Bucks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trousers-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trousers-stretchers.

The object of the invention is in a ready, thoroughly-efiicient, and practical manner without danger of starting scams or of destroying the shape to crease, press, and

stretch trousers in such manner as to cause them to present the same appearance as when first made.

WVith the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a trousers-stretcher, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, there are illustrated twoforms of embodiment of the invention, each capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit thereof, and in these drawings- Figure 1 is a view in elevation, showing the trousers-stretcher with the parts distended or opened. Fig. 2 is a view in perspective, exhibiting the seat clamping and creasing member folded or in operative position and the leg clamping and creasing member partially open. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section indicating the trousers in position between the members of the stretcher. Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a slightly-modified form of the device. Fig. 5 is an edge view of a form of yielding hinge employed in connection with the device. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of a form of catch for holding the members together.

The device of the present invention comprises three members 1, 2, and 3, suitably hinged together. The part 1 constitutes the body portion of the device, the part 2 the seat clamping and creasing member, and the part 3 the leg clamping and creasing member. Each of these parts are preferably frame-like structures constructed of any suitable material, such as wood, rubber, aluminium, or the like or of a combination of these materials. The hinges 4 for connecting the members 2 and 3 with the body 1 are disposed in such manner as to permit the member 2 to be folded over upon one side of the body and the member 3 over upon the opposite side of the body, the reason for this disposition of the hinges appearing farther on.

The body 1 includes an approximately rectangular or trapezoidal portion constituting one of the leg clamping and creasing elements formed by two longitudinal pieces 5 and 6 and two transverse pieces 7 and 8, the frame formed by these pieces corresponding in area to the member 3, and a right-angular portion formed by the side piece 5, an angular piece 9, and a transverse piece 10 forming, preferably, a continuation of the member. 8, and to the angular piece 9 the member 2 is hinged. All of the parts of the body 1 may be assembled in any preferred manner which will in-- sure rigidity, lightness, and strength. transverse piece 7 is disposed some distance back of one end of the body, the end of the body adjacent to the member 7 being formed by a stretching member 11, which has its ends tenoned at 11 to fit in mortises 11, formed in the inner sides of the pieces 5 and 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the object of this arrangement being to hold the stretching member against axial movement when being actuated to stretch the trousers.

The member 2 is of the same contour as the body and when folded thereon operates in a manner that will presently be described not only to clamp the seat portion of the trousers in position, but also to form creases along the sides thereof without exerting any such strain as would tend to start the seams or otherwise damage the garment.

The members 1 and 2 are herein shown as being ofthe same general shape or contour that is, as stated, approximately rectangular;

The

but it is to be understood that the form of these portions may be varied according to the conventional style of trousers in use. Thus, for example, if the trousers are narrow at the bottom the body and member 3 will be approximately of the shape shown. If, however, the style of trousers should change to the style known as bell bottom, the lower ends of the body and member 3 Would have to be widened, so that under the latter case the said members would be approximately trapezoidal in shape also. For this reason, therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise form of the body and the member 3, as it will be obvious that this may be varied in shape as change in the style of trousers may require. From what has been stated it will be obvious that the body portion performs two functionsnamely, that of a means for holding the seat portion of the trousers from the waistband, say, to the knees in position on one of its sides and for creasing these parts and for holding the leg portion of the trousers from the knee to the bottom on the opposite side thereof and for creasing these parts also.

The stretching member 11 is actuated, as shown in Fig. 1, through the medium of a screw-rod 12, one portion of which is herein shown as provided with threads to engage a threaded opening in the member 7 and to bear against or be swiveled to the member 11, the other portion of the rod projecting through the transverse piece 8 and terminating in a ring or handhold 13, by which it may be turned to force the stretching member 11 outward. In lieu of this form of mechanism for actuating the stretching member a lever 14 may be employed, as shown in Fig. 4, one end of which is pivoted in any suitable manner to either of the side pieces 5 or 6 of the body, the intermediate portion of the lever being connected with a rod 15, slidably mounted in the piece 7 and connected in any suitable manner with the stretching member 11, the free end of the lever being adapted to be moved into engagement with a stop or stops 16, carried by the side piece 5 to lock the stretching member in adjusted position.

In order to hold the bottom portion of the trousers from slipping when the garment is being stretched, the like faces of the piece 8 of the body and the piece 17 of the member 3 are provided with a rubber facing 18, which may be corrugated or otherwise to present an effective holding means for the purpose defined. These frictional surfaces may be of any thickness and may be composed of rubber mats or be disposed in any manner upon the structure.

The advantage accruing from the structure shown is that when the trousers are positioned thereon they occupy a perfectly fiat position, and every part is subjected to a suificient draft or pull to remove the wrinkles, and at the same time the pressure exerted between the members of the different parts when assembled will operate positively to crease the trousers-legs both front and rear throughout their entire length.

In order to hold the members 2 and 3 in locked or secured position with relation to the body, the side pieces of the members 2 and 3 are provided each with a catch 19, preferably of resilient material and provided with a pin or lug 20, the lugs in the catches being adapted to engage with openings in plates 21, secured to the outer side of the pieces 5 and 6 of the member 1. In this instance each of the plates 21 is provided with three openings 22, the object of which is to permit of as high as three pairs of trousers being pressed, creased, and stretched at one time, it being obvious, of course, that the number of openings may be increased, if found necessary or desirable.

The hinges 4, to which reference has been made, are constructed in such manner as to permit of the members to separate according to the number of the trousers upon the stretcher, and to efl ect this result the leaves 22 of the hinges are connected by a curved or looped spring 23, the terminals of which are provided with or formed into eyes 24 to receive the pin 25, usually employed in connecting the leaves of hinges, said pin being disposed in the butts 26, as usual. The spring is to be of such strength as to cause the members closely to impinge upon the article or articles disposed between them, so that whether one or more pairs of trousers be disposed between the members of the stretcher perfect creasing, pressing, and stretching will be secured.

In the use of the device all of the members are folded out fiat, and the waist portion of the trousers, whether there be one or more pairs, is spread smoothly upon the body portion, after which the member 2 is brought over the body portion and the catch 19 interlocked with the plate 21, the result being that pressing and creasing of the edges of the trousers-legs from the waist to the knee between the frame-pieces of the body and the member 2 is secured. The stretcher is then turned over, and the trouserslegs are brought down over the stretching member and their bottom portions disposed upon the friction-surface 18 of the body portion, after which the member 3 is turned down over the body portion and the catch 19 thereon locked with the other plate, 21, the result being that the trouserslegs are clamped between the pieces 5 and 6 of the body portion and the piece 3 and pressing, creasing, and stretching of this portion of the trousers-legs is secured. The stretching member is then forced out longitudinally of the body either by means of the rod, as shown in Fig. 1, or by the lever 14, as shown in Fig. 4, thus exertinga pull upon the trouserslegs and waist portion which will result in removing the wrinkles without straining the seams or in any other way injuring the garment. When the parts of the structure are folded up as described, the device may be hung up or laid flat, as may be preferred; but in whatever position it is placed it will positively hold the garment against slippage, so that pressing, creasing, and the removal of wrinkles will be effected.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. A trousers-stretcher comprising a body portion, an adjustable member combined therewith, a plurality of sections yieldably connected to the body portion and adapted to fold upon the same at opposite sides thereof to form separated clamping-sections, means for locking the sections, and means for adjustconnected therewith and foldable in oppositedirections thereon.

4. A trousers-stretcher comprising a body portion, a seat clamping and creasing member, and a leg clamping and creasing member, the latter member and the body being provided with frictional su rfaces, and a stretching mem ber combined with the body.

5. A trousers-stretcher embodying a supporting member shaped to conformto a pair of trousers throughout their length when folded, a seat clamping and creasing member conforming to the shape of the trousers from the waist to the knee portion, a leg clamping and creasing member conforming to the trousers from the knees to the bottom, means for looking the members together,-means for stretching the trousers, and means for holding the bottom portion of the trousers from slipping when the stretching member is actuated.

6. A trousers-stretcher having a plurality of hinged clamping-sections including a body portion, said sections adapted to be folded upon the body portion at opposite sides thereof to form independent seat and leg clamping members, a stretching device carried by the body portion, and means for locking the sections together.

7 A trousers-stretcher, having a plurality of hinged clamping-sections including a body portion, said sections adapted to be foldable in opposite directions to form separated clamping-sections, a stretching member carried by the body portion, and means actuating the stretching member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- DEBSSGS.

WINFIELD S. WVALLACE.

Witnesses:

A. T. SOHENNERHORN, SILAs HEATH. 

